East Anglian Counties Championship Match
at Kempston Rovers FC
Tuesday 23rd October 2007
The Suffolk team showed 3 changes from their previous fixture – a 7-0 victory over Herts – and an incident in the 1st minute gave an indicated of a repeat performance. Suffolk captain, Bass – who scored 6 against Herts - taking a pass from Warnes, burst through the defence but her weak shot trundled wide of the far post. Shortly after this, Seaman got beyond the Suffolk defence and Lunn had to come off her line to smother the shot. These two missed chances set the pattern of the first half – a lively open match with chances at both ends, which were all spurned. Kane came close for the home team – her close range effort being scrambled to safety, then Bitten crossed for Bass to lay off to Warnes who tried to lob Beds keeper, Morley, but failed. Morley then did well to block a shot from Bass.
As Suffolk pressed, defender Carroll headed against her own post when trying to clear. The visitors finished the half strongly, and Bass once again took the ball through the heart of the home defence, this time cutting back to Parnell whose angled drive went wide of the far post. Suffolk even tried their luck with 2 long range efforts, but these did not trouble the keeper. It wasn’t just missed chances that saw half-time came with the score as it had been at the start – both defences had played well too. In particular, both centre-halves stood out with well-timed challenges and excellent positional play.
Suffolk continued to press at the start of the second-half, and went on to dominate it with a fine display of possession football. They had good shape and their passing game worked well. Such was their dominance, that Lunn saw very little of the ball on a cold evening. Beds mustered their first shot with only 12 minutes left. However until then, Suffolk possession has provided no goals either. Bass and Parnell both had good opportunities to open the scoring and failed to find the target. With the clock ticking down, supporters of both teams were resigned to a goal-less draw, until Peacock suddenly found the target with a rasping drive from the corner of the box which nearly burst the net – this after the Beds defence failed to completely deal with another Suffolk attack.
Just 8 minutes left now and it looked like Suffolk might make it 2 wins out of 2. Another 2 minutes, and Blake ghosted in behind the hesitant defence to steer a close range shot between keeper and post for 2-0. All over now we thought, but as the Suffolk players relaxed and appreciated what they had just achieved, Beds took the ball up-field and striker Hayes was nudged just inside the penalty area. Dunn struck the penalty well, but Lunn dived to her right to push the ball onto the bar and quickly recovered her feet to block the follow-up shot from Seaman. Shortly after, the final whistle and Suffolk celebrated a win which takes them to the top of the table.
A dogged performance with little of the magic of the previous victory, but an exciting climax to the game sent the visitors on their long drive home happy. Next match at Ram Meadow, Bury, on the 15th November v Hunts – KO 7.45pm.